Srinagar: After passing her class 12, Firdosa Bashir, a girl from Kehribal in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district joined a madrassa (Islamic seminary) to study Islamic literature. However, in an interesting turn of events, Firdosa's passion for calligraphy led her to focus on learning calligraphy, the art of Arabic script, instead.
The YouTube Video That Inspired Firdosa
Opening up on her passion for Arabic calligraphy, Firdosa said, "I was once watching a video on YouTube where a girl was doing calligraphy. She had built a very large platform, and there were a lot of positive comments on many of her videos. Seeing her, I got inspired, and I started doing it myself, though I hadn't done it before and hadn't learned from anyone."
What Sets Her Apart
What sets Firdosa apart from the rest of calligraphy artists is that her work is dedicated to the spiritual teachings of Islam, using traditional calligraphy styles with her own ideas. Firdousa's pieces are known for their bright colours and detailed designs, which have earned her appreciation within her community.
Challenges
Firdosa's journey towards becoming an established calligraphy artist has not been without challenges. She said that her family didn't fully support her decision to pursue calligraphy as a career. However, with time, her family began to support her, she added.
Firdosa said that her family was proud of her now.
“I'm doing something worthwhile now. God willing, I want to become a calligraphy artist in the future, make a name for myself, and make my family proud as well,” she said.
"My main interest was very strong. I was happy while doing it, but I knew I didn't have the capacity to become an IPS officer. So I thought, no, I'll take my talent forward and, God willing, I will achieve great success in this. So, I started doing calligraphy. At first, it didn't seem right, but later I started feeling really good, and I kept going," added Firdosa.
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